On October 15, Cienfuegos was detained in Los Angeles on charges including conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana in the United States, allegedly working on behalf of the Nayarit-based H-2 Cartel. Cienfuegos denied the charges against him, and after a month of behind-the-scenes wrangling, US attorney general William Barr decided that . 'The cartels are not just a U.S.-Mexico problem I think the way most people see them,' a former Texas Public Safety officer said. Alleged drug dealers of the Sinaloa cartel are escorted by policemen in Mexico City following their arrests earlier this year. Residents abandoning cars and burning vehicles are seen on multiple roads. Rather, it was an organization that not only controlled drug trafficking in Nayarit between 2011 and 2017, but also established close ties with much of the states political elite. Lpez Obradors party just won the governorship in Zacatecas, but it remains to be seen if coordination with federal authorities will improve. Montes de Oca said they fled in a boat after the attack. If this was the case, we can only imagine what Veytia who thanked Sandoval for his intercession with a gift of Spanish horses worth a million dollars and 300 hectares of recently-seized peasant lands gave to the Secretary of Defense in exchange for his support. The north-central Mexican state holds strategic importance for drugs being shipped to the United States. "With the goal of safeguarding the well-being and tranquility of Culiacn society, officials in the security Cabinet decided to suspend the actions," he said. [1] Benjamin Smith, The Rise and Fall of Narcopopulism: Drugs, Politics, and Society in Sinaloa, 19301980, Journal for the Study of Radicalism, ii (2013) The gun battle went on for at least 20 minutes. MEXICO CITY A commando of drug gang gunmen on Thursday stormed ashore at a beach on Mexico's resort-studded Caribbean coast in front of luxury hotels and executed two drug dealers from a rival gang. Residents said he had been helping them get electricity back after an armed group cut the power to some ranches. "The bullets were entering the restaurant.". According to Mexicos naval secretariat, Juan Francisco Patrn, also known as H2, was a key figure in the Beltrn Leyva cartels operations in the states of Nayarit and Jalisco. All the businesses locked their doors, Garcia says. Soon after, the house was surrounded by "a greater force" of heavily armed gunmen and the troops withdrew. Sandoval was a cowboy in other senses too. Nayarit put the safety of the state in the hands of organized crime and in the short term, it worked.. Two suspected drug dealers were killed after gunmen from competing gangs staged a dramatic shootout near upscale hotels that sent foreign tourists scrambling for cover. Guanajuato has Mexicos highest number of homicides, and has been the scene of turf battles between the Jalisco drug cartel and local gangs backed by the Sinaloa cartel. Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com, Conversations are opinions of our readers and are subject to the, The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star And all this he accomplished, it is alleged, through embezzlement of state funds, extorsion of businesses, overseeing kidnapping for ransom and seizures of land and property, and, of course, close collaboration with drug traffickers. Indeed, Nayarit is Mexicos second biggest exporter of mangoes, and primary producer of tobacco. Among other things, the cartels are battling to control the most lucrative drug: fentanyl. On The Trail Of Mexico's Vicious Sinaloa Cartel. Days after the June 24 shootout, authorities found two more corpses, raising the death count to 20. The heavily indigenous highlands that were the backbone of 19th-century rebellion, are today one of Mexicos primary opium-growing zones, thanks to a combination of widespread and severe poverty, rugged, mountainous topography, and the limited, ineffective and often corrupt presence of state and federal authorities. A 2014 photo of Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn being escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture. Veytias arrest led the Mexican Federal prosecutors office and lawmakers in Nayarit to open a joint investigation into Sandoval in mid-2017. Through the project Touring the Southeast. Mexico's security secretary, Alfonso Durazo, said the fighting began when about 30 National Guard and army troops patrolling the city were fired on from a house occupied by Ovidio Guzmn Lpez, who is wanted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges. When Sandoval acceded to the state governorship he named Veytia the states assistant attorney general but never appointed anyone as head of the state justice department, leaving Veytia its de facto chief. If Sinaloans dominated the higher echelons of the Nayarits drug trade, from the 1980s growing numbers of Nayarit natives also began to move from drug production into the more profitable business of trafficking. [1] With any case against Cienfuegos now reliant on the information available to the Mexican prosecutors officewhich, just days before Cienfuegos release, issued an arrest warrant for a former governor of Nayarit also accused of cooperation with the H-2 Cartelit would seem that the Narco-Nayarit connection has never been more worthy of serious analysis. Motorists reported on social networks the closure of federal highway 200 in the town of rsula Galvn, where barriers were reported, forcing people to turnaround. WebA bullet-ridden sport utility vehicle was taken away after a gun battle with Mexican marines in which an alleged regional drug cartel leader was killed in Nayarit state. "There was a lot of panic. The authorities didnt arrive until the next day. This Tuesday, a series of clashes between presumed hitmen and agents of different security corporations in Tepic, in the They stayed only because there wasnt any way to go, nor any place.. MEXICO CITY (AP) Authorities in northern Mexico said Wednesday they found the bodies of two abducted police officers hanging from an overpass, and the bodies of seven people shot to death in a neighboring city. Hector Parra/AP Nayarits coast is a tropical zone fringed by mangrove swamps, where fishing and commercial agriculture are the lifeblood of the local economy. There was panic, said a 21-year-old man, the oldest of five siblings. And in nearby Playa del Carmen, police stage a massive raid in October on the beach town's restaurant-lined Quinta Avenida, detaining 26 suspects most apparently for drug sales after a city policewoman was shot to death and locked in the trunk of a car last week. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. A national newspaper reported that on Monday 96 people were assassinated in drug-related violence across the country the highest daily death toll since Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared war on the drug cartels in December 2006. In the tourist town of Taxco, south of Mexico City, soldiers fought a 40-minute gun battle with alleged cartel hitmen that left 15 people dead. Patrn assumed a leading role in the organization following the arrests and deaths of the four Beltrn Leyva brothers. Opium Crisis,' Journal of Illicit Economies and Development 1, No.3 (2019) It is not the first time that tourists have been caught in the crossfire of such battles. With a total area of a little under 30,000 km2, Nayarit is roughly the size of Massachusetts, and 23rd out of Mexicos 32 federal entities in terms of size. He used his power to amass enormous landholdings and expand his own personal ranching operations. Valparasos mayor could not confirm or deny figures given by some residents that were double that. The day they (soldiers) leave, we know from experience that quickly the criminal groups are going to fight over territory, said Eleuterio Ramos, Valparasos worried mayor. The installed checkpoint stops vehicles at random and performs preventive checks on their occupants at the Boca de Tomates bridge crossing. Ten people have been killed by drug cartel gunmen in a Mexican pool hall. When he took office in 2012, Mexicos President Enrique Pea Nieto drew up a list of 122 drug cartel leaders, making their capture a priority. The CJNG imposed its control over Tepics local, small-time drug dealers by shooting up any bar or nightclub in which they were rumored to work, killing and injuring scores of innocent civilians in the process. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. Further inland is Tepic, the states slightly gritty capital of 330,000, located in an altiplano zone of cane fields and coffee orchards towered over by huge volcanoes. Some areas of Mexico have increased risk of crime and kidnapping. "It's worth the effort to continue on with this fight," Calderon said. A federal grand jury in New York City charged with conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, import and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana between 2013 and 2017. After the chemical precursors enter the Pacific ports, they are finished into fentanyl pills in labs in Nayarit, Jalisco and Sinaloa to the west of Zacatecas, said Oscar Santiago Quintos, head of the analysis and intelligence department of Mexicos Attorney Generals Office. The state prosecutors office said the shop specialized in repairing motorcycles. Comments are moderated, refer to policy for more information.Enva fotos, vdeos, notas, enlaces o informacin Todo 100% Annimo;borderlandbeat@gmail.com. The dramatic shooting attack sent tourists scrambling for cover at the resort More than 23,000 people have died in drug-related violence since Calderon took office 3 1/2 years ago. President Andrs Manuel Lpez Obrador accused. Then, in February 2020, and apparently on the basis of evidence given by Veytia as part of a sentencing deal, the U.S. State Department indicted Sandoval, alleging he had misappropriated state assets and received bribes from narcotics trafficking organizations, including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) [and] the Beltran Leyva Organization. On 13 November, at the same time as the Mexican government was pressing for the release of General Cienfuegos in the US, the Mexican prosecutors office issued a warrant for Sandovals arrest on charges of embezzlement, graft and corruption. His name was added to INTERPOLs red list, while Mexican President Lpez Obrador urged him to turn himself in and face justice although to date his whereabouts remain unknown. Sam Quinones. Gov. He did not rule out that there were deaths, according to The Associated Press. Since 1970, eighty percent of Mexican tobacco has been grown in the vast plantations of the Nayarit coast, pulling in migrant workers from across central and western Mexico. While some of the victims of Veytia and Sandovals reign of terror have recently been able to come forward with their stories of kidnappings, disappearances, and torture, such truth telling is cold comfort to those who have been affected by the even deadlier violence that has wracked Nayarit in the years since Veytias detention in the United States. WebCartels wreak havoc across Mexico in week of 'narco-terrorism' Tourism will account for about 8.3 per cent of Mexico's GDP in 2022, according to the Mexican federal After a two-year trial, Judge Carol Amon found him guilty on these charges on 26 September 2019 and sentenced him to 20 years prison. [4] But violence related to the drug trade only began to surge in Nayarit after President Calderns 2006 declaration of war on the nations cartels. She continues working here, but recently moved her belongings to Fresnillo where her daughter and mother live in case she has to quickly leave one day for good. Indeed, it would appear that their collective successes were sufficient to attract the attention of Mexicos Secretary of Defense, General Cienfuegos Zepeda, who decided he wanted a share for himself. That Edgar Veytia was eventually arrested, tried and convicted for his part in this story, and that an arrest warrant has since been issued for Roberto Sandoval, is somewhat heartening. hide caption. Drug-related violence is happening all across Mexico. With 239 murders per 100,000 residents, Fresnillo has the highest perception of insecurity in Mexico: more than 96% of its population lives in fear, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. [3] Romain LeCour, Nathaniel Morris, Benjamin T. Smith, The Last Harvest? But shootings like this have become common as the Sinaloa cartel fights members of the Beltran-Leyva organization for control of Tepic. And as once the state provided a stronghold from which Patrn Snchez was able to expand his influence over the entire Beltrn Leyva organization, it is rumored that Nayarit is today the headquarters of Audias Flores Silva, alias El Jardinero, widely seen to be the second-in-command of the Jalisco-based organization. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Torstar account holder. Although explicit drug war violence such as inter-cartel warfare and gunfights between soldiers and traffickersdeclined during Veytias time as Nayarits security chief, crime and violence did not in themselves disappear. They sometimes beat people or tie them up regardless to instill fear. And these practices were so profitable that officials at the heart of President Pea Nietos PRI federal governmentindeed, the commander-in-chief of the same army prosecuting Mexicos war on drug traffickingdecided to get in on the action themselves and take their own cut of the reward. This allowed them, together, to institutionalize corruption, embezzlement, land-grabs and violence, as well as drug production and trafficking, in the area under their joint control. Nayarit rarely makes the headlines in Mexico, far less in the rest of the world. But it now appears that Sandovals was not the only name Veytia shared with U.S. authorities. WebThirteen Mexican police officers and investigators have been killed in an ambush as they travelled through a rural region marking the latest attack on law enforcement by brazen They included two German men and a Dutch woman. A 2014 photo of Joaqun "El Chapo" Guzmn being escorted to a helicopter in Mexico City following his capture. Indeed, it is in some ways unsurprising that Cienfuegos would be connected with an organization based in Nayarit, where the unique dynamics of local politics, combined with the states low profile as a hub for trafficking, have long permitted a particular brand of what Benjamin Smith has termed narco-populism to flourish. Soon Veytia expanded into trafficking drugs himself. Click here to receive our twice-monthly newsletter. Check this for more updates, there's something almost everydayhttp://www.nayaritenlinea.mx - El CORITA. Indeed, it is in some ways unsurprising that Cienfuegos would be connected with an organization based in Nayarit, where the unique dynamics of local politics, combined with the states low profile as a hub for trafficking, have long permitted a particular brand of what Benjamin Smith has termed narco-populism to flourish. The operation was a joint effort between Veytias police forces and the Navy, a surprising partnership given previous events. Plaza Cigarrera looks like a boring strip mall in Tepic, capital of Mexico's Pacific coast state of Nayarit. Videos posted to social media show multiple gunmen shooting down major thoroughfares. Several cartels are fighting for the area's lucrative retail drug trade, including the Jalisco cartel and the a gang allied with the Gulf cartel. A rumor circulated that the cartels were forcing youth snatched from the communities to work for them. And he said to give up in the drug war would be to abandon Mexico and leave it in the hands of organized criminals. For the first time in years, the drug trade in Nayarit received global media attention. WebTradues em contexto de "Culiacn, Sinaloa, Mxico" en portugus-ingls da Reverso Context : nibus para Culiacn, Sinaloa, Mxico Mexico cartel shootout leaves 18 dead. In August 2019, just a month before Veytias final sentencing, an indictment was filed in the same Court of the, Cienfuegos surprise detention, and even more unexpected release, is emblematic of the deeply. All After the brutal murder of his family ordered by his boss Miguel ngel Flix Gallardo, Palma engaged in a string of vicious crimes to [46] Edgar Valdez Villarreal, the leader of Los Negros cartel enforcement, was arrested on August 30, 2010 outside Mexico City. One might also conjecture that Cienfuegos protection extended to Patrn Snchezs political partners in crime, too. For years, attention focused on violence along Mexicos northern border in cities like Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez and Nuevo Laredo. WebIt is 10:00 am on Saturday, March 20, and in the tourist area of Rincn de Guayabitos, Nayarit, submachine guns are thundering. He used all of the forces at his command to give H-2 complete control of drug trafficking in the state: according to witnesses in Compostela, for example, every week Polica Nayarit officers would escort a truck full of H-2 gunmen into their town to help them to disappear people. Veytia also made sure that any H-2 members who were arrested were always quickly freed. Str/AFP/Getty Images In 2020, some 93,000 people died of fentanyl overdoses in the U.S., a record high. Arturo Nahle, Zacatecas former attorney general and current state supreme court president, said those policies could be right, but will take years to bear fruit. The legacy of this political history and the facts of geography together define Nayarits place in the modern Mexican drug trade. Rarely seen in public without a sombrero and an embroidered Wixrika shoulder bag, Sandovals self-proclaimed peoples government undertook numerous eye-catching projects, such as building a public sports and concert arena (which soon flooded), huge water-capture tanks in the poor outskirts of Tepic (which were never connected to the local water supply), and a sports center shaped like a giant cowboy hat. 06/26/2021. In the nearby city of Fresnillo, police later found the bullet-ridden bodies of four women and three men. Cinco sedes disponibles, Licenciatura Ejecutiva en Derecho. Montes de Oca said one of the men targeted in the attack fled into one of the hotels before dying. By Gerardo 10/28/2010 12:02:00 AM 6 comments. El Chapo was tried this year in a U.S. court and sentenced to life in prison. Web(Video) Suspected Members of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) Carried Out a Shooting Attack on a Tourist Police Patrol, Guayabitos, Nayarit, Mexico 04 January As frustration with the drug war grows, Calderon this week tried to rally the Mexican people behind the effort. In June, two men were shot to death on the beach in Tulum and a third was wounded. The Tulum gunfight also apparently broke out between two groups that operate street-level drug sales in the area, according to prosecutors. the victims were just trying to make a living, working in what was available. The shootings were the latest chapter in drug gang violence that has sullied the reputation of Mexico's Caribbean coast as a once-tranquil oasis. Everyone ran from beach and swimming pools. [47] Until, that is, a helicopter-load of marines dropped out of the skies, sparking a fierce battle with the Polica Nayarit, which gave Veytias most important guests enough time to escape. The cartel is now splintered into small, competing gangs. Ulyses Ramirez, a cook there, says eight windows shattered but no customers were hurt. Finally, Mexicos largest mountain range, the Sierra Madre Occidental, completely dominates the western third of the state. " he says. In Nayarit, he declared, there was no room for organized crime. Homicides fell 75 percent in four years. Public shoot-outs between rival cartel gunmen grew rarer, and by 2016, Nayarit ranked at No 2 on the Mexico Peace Index, and was lauded by President Pea Nieto as an example of PRIista policy success. By 2010, Tepic had a murder rate of 229 for every 100,000 inhabitants, and was ranked the thirteenth most dangerous city in the world. Web15 Murdered in Tepic Carwash. Montes de Oca's office said earlier in a statement that "there was a clash between rival groups of drug dealers on a beach" near the hotels. ", Mexico Seems To Favor Sinaloa Cartel In Drug War. Just five weeks later, however, Veytia miscalculated or was perhaps himself betrayed and on one of his twice-monthly trips to San Diego to visit his family was detained at the US border.